The Installation of an Installation: Jonathan Prince at 535 Madison Avenue

If you ever wondered how those massive sculptures magically appear in plazas and POPS around the city, look no further than Jonathan Prince. The sculptor just installed two works at the Christie’s Sculpture Garden at 535 Madison Avenue, and while they may look like they crashed there on a meteor or magically appeared a la the Obelisk in 2001, it is in fact a painstaking process involving forklifts and winches.

For such stolid works, it is interesting how gently Mr. Prince works over his sculpture. POPS seem to be a specialty of his, as the video below shows an installation of his work across the street at 590 Madison Avenue, aka the Sony Building. Meanwhile, this is only the latest artwork to go in at the Christie’s garden, which was formed through a partnership with the building’s developer, Park Tower Group, meant to burnish the building’s image.